July 2, 2026
TOKYO – The average income of Diet members was ¥30.03 million, up ¥4.9 million from the previous year and marking the first rise in two years, according to lawmaker income reports for 2025, which were released by both Diet chambers on Tuesday.
Among the leaders of nine political parties, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who also serves as president of the Liberal Democratic Party, topped the list with ¥36.41 million.
The income reports cover 471 Diet members who served throughout last year — 293 in the House of Representatives and 178 in the House of Councillors. They do not include members who were elected for the first time in last summer’s upper house election or this year’s lower house. Former lawmakers also were excluded.
Yuichiro Tamaki, leader of the Democratic Party for the People, came in second among the party leaders with ¥28.82 million, followed by Fumitake Fujita, coleader of the Japan Innovation Party, with ¥27.09 million. The party leaders other than Takaichi all fell below the overall average.
Among all the lawmakers, Kenji Nakanishi, an LDP lower house member who previously worked for JP Morgan Securities Japan Co., ranked top for the fourth consecutive year. He earned about ¥1.14 billion from sources such as stock sales and dividends. Norihisa Tamura, also an LDP lower house member, placed second with about ¥1.02 billion. The number of lawmakers who earned more than ¥100 million rose to seven from four in the previous year, with LDP members accounting for nine of the top 10.
On average by political party, the LDP topped the list for the ninth consecutive year with ¥35.12 million. It pulled far ahead of other parties such as the DPFP with ¥24.38 million and the JIP with ¥23.52 million.